I noticed this description under a Hawaiian Room drink called the Okoolehao Sling–“A zingy sling of gin and juice in a real coconut”–and took it as a prompt. I wanted to create a fruity coconutty flash-blended drink with a gin base and I couldn’t be happier with the results! Though it does appear in tiki drinks, I see coconut as belonging more to the non-tiki tropical canon we’re (mostly) focusing on this month.

A big theme in 1960s and ‘70s singles bars was the offering of sweeter drinks that would supposedly appeal more to women. This drink is based on the Bushwacker, which originated on the Gulf Coast. Its inclusion in this month’s group of recipes is meant to represent the creamy, coffee-laced category that includes such famous cocktails as the White Russian and Mudslide.